@waldoputty
Just a couple more thoughts/questions. How susceptible are the sensors to things like mud, ice, dirt etc. building up/caking and blocking sensors? I would guess there is some type of redundancy or failsafes if that was the case. Would there be a contingency if driverless operating conditions would be sensed as unwise, would there be a failsafe that would not allow it to be engaged or with a suitable warning be disengaged if in use. I don't know what all those conditions would be, but unsuitable from a safety as well as company liability standpoint.
How robust and durable are all the components, ease and cost of maintenance is always an issue. Looking down the road when the vehicles have been in use for a few years and being properly maintained can become an issue. Some people are meticulous in maintaining their vehicles and some have them held together with duct tape and bailing wire. You know how people are, the car is making a funny noise or there's a blinking light and they ignore it, or tell themselves it's still driving OK, or they'll take care of it later, sometimes they do and sometimes they don't until whatever it was fails. You can't blame the tech for human error and cars in those conditions are inherently unsafe, but it does happen and people relying on driverless tech make it exponentially more dangerous. I guess you would have to have system sensors that would not allow the tech to be engaged, but to what extent to make it safe and feasible.
